Winter salads are as colorful and appetizing as warm-weather ones. Miriam shares two recipes here.
The word “salad” evokes a warm afternoon, sunshine streaming in through the kitchen window and a big ceramic bowl filled with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.
At least, it does to me. But it’s the wrong season for that picture right now. In winter, tomatoes and cucumbers are expensive. I turn to root vegetables, sprouts, and wild edibles to satisfy the yearning for salad and to round out a hot meal. These winter salads are so flavorful that they need little more than olive oil and vinegar as dressing.
Beet Salad with Orange Peel
Thin strips of orange peel make the difference between a boring salad and one that wakes your taste buds up. A light vinaigrette dressing offsets the earthiness of the beets.
How to zest an orange: the little hand-held lemon zester is a great device, but lacking one, just grate the orange lightly, turning it often so as to avoid the bitter white pith. Wash the orange well with warm water and soap before removing the zest, unless it’s organic.
Ingredients:
1 large beet, or two smaller ones. There should be about 3 cups of cooked, sliced beets.
1 small onion, thinly sliced
The zest of a small orange
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley, or chickweed
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar or honey
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste.
1. Put the sliced onion into a small bowl. To it add the orange zest, olive oil, vinegar, honey, and salt. Cover and allow the onion to marinate while you’re cooking the beets.
2. Quarter the beet (halve two smaller ones) and cook the pieces in water to cover till tender.
3. Allow the beets to cool slightly and peel them. Grate them into a bowl or cut them by hand to the size and thickness you desire (thinner is better).
4. Mix the marinated onions, with all their juice, with the beets. Add the chopped parsley or chickweed.
5. Allow the salad to rest, covered and in the fridge, for at least an hour before serving.
Carrot and Sunflower Sprout Salad
Chickweed, a tasty wild edible, plays a larger role in this salad. The hearty taste of sunflower seed sprouts complements the sweetness of the carrots.
Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled if not organic, and grated
1 cup chopped sunflower seed sprouts
½ cup clean chickweed
Just mix everything up together gently. This salad needs no more than a drizzle of good olive oil, salt, and a little lemon juice as dressing.
Bon apetit!
More salads from Green Prophet:
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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